To Wherever You Are
by crashsystem
Summary: A drive to wherever has never felt so good.


**Based on a local movie. Enjoy :)**

* * *

She shouldn't care and she doesn't, but something about catching her supposed _betrothed_ sucking another girl's face just snaps a nerve inside her. The pissed off kind. It didn't take long actually, for Santana to barge in on the two love-leeches and break the window of the Chevy her _parents_ gave him as a pre-wedding gift.

(She doesn't feel sorry at all because Puck is a dick anyway.)

Then she drives off, taking the next exit to wherever.

xxxx

It may have been an hour or more. She can't be bothered to remember numbers when all she feels during the drive (to wherever) is the anger seeping out of her veins. She loves her parents, she really does, but they are horrible judges of character.

Santana finally stops by a town. A beach town.

She thinks she's probably somewhere near Middletown.

She checks into a quaint little motel by the beach. She says quaint because it has a grandfather clock right in the middle of the lobby and a bunch of brown sofas at odd places (and dim lighting). Santana doesn't mind at all, in fact she welcomes the change and all she wants right now is to get away from her life for a bit. Just for a bit.

xxxx

She's screaming. Screaming for her damn life because there is a fucking spider (the one with a million legs) on the wall in her shower and she's stuck in the corner of her stall.

Because the damn million-legged spider is by the door.

Santana vaguely hears the door to her room being pushed open and hears a voice call out.

"Miss Lopez, are you alright? I heard you screaming and I thought-" The voice comes closer and Santana nearly drops her towel when she shouts.

"DON'T LOOK! I SWEAR I WILL CUT YOU IF YOU LOOK."

She thinks she heard the voice chuckle faintly before the person is asking what the problem is.

"There's a fucking spider in here!" Santana shrieks. "I'm gonna die, get it out!"

The booming laughter she hears startles her and she's immediately flushed with anger. She has half a mind to go out there and lay a smack down on this idiot.

"O-Okay Miss Lopez, I'll g-go get it out. I won't look, I promise," the person manages to choke out.

(She really wants to smack this idiot.)

xxxx

She's finally dressed appropriately, crossing her arms over her chest, looking sternly at the grinning idiot who saved her life by cupping his hand over the million-legged spider and throwing it out the balcony.

"I am going to sue you," Santana says, simply.

"Um, you mean the motel? 'Cause I'm just the manager," he announces proudly, like he just outsmarted Santana. He holds out his hand. "My name is Sam, and I don't like green eggs and ham."

Santana rolls her eyes. (Sam has no game.)

She keeps her arms folded and glares at him instead. "What kind of motel do you run here, _Sam_? Do all the rooms have fucking spiders in the shower? Is this a zoo?"

Sam's smile actually falters just a little and he casts his eyes downwards. "I apologize, Miss Lopez. We do try to maintain the motel in its best form but it's just a little hard when funds are low and-" His voice dies down when he sees Santana cock an eyebrow.

"Spiders are cool though. I mean, look how Spider-Man turned out," he mumbles.

"And look where that got him, on everybody's hit list! Even Jameson wants him dead, granted he gets like nude shots of Spider-Man first and swill some shit about corrupting children or whatever," Santana doesn't realise she's rambling until she sees the excited glint in Sam's eyes.

She clears her throat. (shit.)

"You know what, I don't care. Right now, I want that bathroom scrubbed to the smallest inch. Hey you two!" Santana calls out to the two female workers passing by her room. The short brunette turns around confusedly but ambles in anyway while the blonde just looks pissed. Sam glances in their direction apologetically.

"Go scrub my bathroom and make sure it is absolutely clear of spiders. Got it?"

"O-okay, Miss," the brunette stutters out. She's almost halfway to get to work, before the blonde yanks her arm out of the girl's grasp.

"Who the fuck do you think you are? You could at least fucking say 'please'," she spits out. Santana shuffles uneasily, surprised by the outburst while Sam stood defensively between the two.

"Quinn," he says, authoritatively. "Miss Lopez is a valuable guest. We need to make sure her stay here is nothing short of perfect." Santana misses the way Sam mouths the word 'loaded' to Quinn.

Quinn visibly deflates a little before grumbling 'whatever' and walks out the door, leaving the brunette standing timidly in front of Sam. Santana allows herself a smirk when she sees how the girl blushes when Sam tells her to go find Bailey or something. Sam turns to her afterward.

"I'll have someone else clean the bathroom for you, Miss Lopez."

"Good."

"And maybe get you some comics too." He lets out, laughing down the hallway.

xxxx

"Come on, please help me with this one. She's a brat, yeah, but she's a lot more than that."

"Really now."

"Please, please, please help me out here. I'll throw in free catnip."

"For a month."

"No way!"

"Then I don't think you really want my help."

"Ugh fine. Deal."

"Thanks Sammy!"

xxxx

Santana's not one to be taken off guard. She's always prepared, for anything. Even if the fat weatherman says there's an eighty percent chance of the clouds clearing up, she still takes the umbrella when she leaves the apartment. Some say it's because she's stubborn but Santana says it's because she's not fucking dumb.

When Santana opens the door to let in the person who's supposed to scrub her bathroom, she is most definitely caught off guard.

She definitely didn't expect a tall, hot blonde with blue eyes.

(And female.)

"Are you spazzing right now?" the girl asks, a worried look etched across that flawless face.

Santana blinks. "What-no…um, are-are you the one wh-who's-" She doesn't know why she can't form a simple sentence around this girl. Maybe she does but that's not an excuse for her to be a bumbling mess.

The girl giggles and Santana swears it's the most beautiful thing she's ever heard in her life.

"Just go clean the bathroom!" Santana stammers out and the smile drops from the girl's face. So does something in Santana's stomach.

"What's the magic word?" the girl sings.

Santana almost says it. She wants to say it but she remembers who she is and how she's been standing there for about ten minutes, so she tilts her chin a little higher, squares her shoulders and places her hands on her hips. "I've got no time for games, blondie. I want my bathroom cleaned immediately so I can get on with my fucking getaway."

"I have a name you know."

"I don't-"

"It's Brittany!" she exclaims happily.

(So beautiful.)

Santana just shakes her head, fingers on her temple and points to the bathroom with her right hand.

She's leaning against the railing of the balcony while Brittany starts getting to work when she hears a faint voice calling out.

"Who are you trying to get away from?"

(This is going to take awhile.)

xxxx

Santana is pretty sure this is a new record. It's been less than half an hour and she's already made this stranger hate her guts.

Brittany is pretty sure this is a new record. She hasn't hated anyone ever but she does now.

It's a blur, really. One minute Brittany asked Santana if she's ever had talking cats before because if she doesn't Brittany wants Santana and Lord Tubbington to meet, (just because she wants to see which of them is more stubborn) and the next minute she's storming out and slams the door shut because Santana actually laughed (those mean girl laughs) and said _that's stupid_.

Now, Santana is by the balcony watching Brittany and Sam argue by the beach. She's shocked because Brittany doesn't seem like the type to get angry. Brittany just seems like someone who was born into this world, smiling, blue-eyed and all. But she is angry, very angry from the looks of it.

Santana has never seen someone wave his or her arms around so much before.

(It's adorable though.)

That's when Santana comes up with a plan.

xxxx

"Where did Brittany go?"

"Miss Lopez, I don't think you should-"

"I don't need any lip from you, Trouty. I just need to know where Brittany is… hello?"

"Uh what?"

"Could you stop crushing on that midget for two seconds and do your job?"

"Hey! …Her name's Rachel."

"That's cute. Now tell me where Brittany is and I'll let you go off to _Rachel_ and show her the eighth wonder of the world on your face."

"The docks... the comic books are at the reception by the way. "

"…thanks."

xxxx

Brittany sits by the dock, managing the boats as she thinks about what Santana said and lets the anger drain out. She's sure Santana didn't mean to hurt her feelings and she's even more sure of what Lord Tubbington is capable of. So maybe she understands that it might sound a little bit ridiculous when she says her cat can talk.

(He does to her.)

Brittany doesn't want to forgive Santana just yet though. She's never been stubborn like this before, but Santana just keeps bringing out the unexpected in her. She's shaken out of her thoughts when she hears sharp footsteps walking down the dock.

Santana. She's wearing cut-off shorts, a loose top, a sun hat and heels.

Brittany really wants to forgive her now because who could stay mad at that. But she won't so she just raises her eyebrows and stares at her.

Santana fiddles with her sunglasses before breaking the silence. "I want you to take me on a boat ride."

Brittany just widens her eyes because, (really?). She just waves it off and goes about cleaning the boat as she says, "I can't do that, Miss Lopez. The weather's not looking so good for a boat ride, and I'm still mad at you."

Santana softens. "Santana. Call me Santana. Please."

She could see Brittany still her movements when she said the magic word, a hint of a smile as she turns to face Santana.

(It makes her want to say the magic word forever.)

Her ghost of a smile disappears as soon as it appeared. "I really can't, Santana. The weatherman said it might get rough out there," Brittany says disappointedly. Santana ignores the way her heart flips into her stomach when her name rolls off Brittany's tongue and momentarily panics. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. She had it all planned out, to get Brittany alone on a boat (to wherever) and apologise. Then maybe things will kick off from there. The weather was really fucking up her plans.

(Fucking weatherman.)

Santana had no choice; she had to make Brittany take her out on that boat. So, she stomps her heeled shoe down on the wooden floor and starts yelling.

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE FUCKING WEATHER, BRITTANY. I JUST NEED TO GET ON THAT BOAT AND YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE ME OR I- I'LL SUE THIS WHOLE PLACE!"

Brittany takes a step back, finding Santana's tantrum surprising yet strangely adorable. She's ready to decline and have another round of yelling come her way when she sees Sam waving his arms in the air far behind Santana, mouthing the words _just take her on the damn boat_.

She rolls her eyes. She's annoyed that Sam can't have a backbone when it comes to guests like these but she supposes it's understandable. They need the funds. Brittany takes a deep breath and stretches her hand out of the boat. Santana jumps back a little at the gesture.

"W-what are you doing?"

"I'm helping you in. You wanted a boat ride right?" Brittany looks up and catches her eyes. It's probably the most cliché moment ever but it really feels as though everything fell into place (for both of them) when Santana takes her hand.

They both miss the way Quinn glares in their direction as the Brittany maneuvers the boat out into the sea.

xxxx

So Santana's plan failed and they're arguing now.

The engine of the boat actually dies and it looks like the fat weatherman might actually be right.

(He may have been right a few times.)

Now they're both yelling and blaming each other for being stuck out in sea.

"I cannot believe you took me on this boat ride!" Santana shrieks as she feels the boat tipping from side to side because of the strong waves.

Brittany stares at her incredulously. "I cannot believe _you_! You _forced_ me to take you on this boat ride and now you're blaming _me_?"

"Well I didn't know this boat was on its fucking death bed! Do you not maintain anything at this motel?"

"Unbelievable." Brittany mutters. She tries searching for her phone but remembers that she left it by the dock. "Where's your phone, Santana?"

Santana stops panicking for awhile and internally slaps herself as she shifts her eyes to anywhere but Brittany. "I-I didn't bring anything else with me," she mumbles. Brittany has never wanted to strangle anyone before, but Santana. Santana just brings out the unexpected in her. She pinches the bridge of her nose, trying to think of a way to survive out in the open sea, in this weather.

"So you remember all that," Brittany points to her outfit, "-but you forgot your phone? If I didn't know any better I'd say you were trying to seduce me on this boat."

Santana's eyes widen as she blushes. "Don't flatter yourself, blondie. I always look this good," she scoffs.

"I told you I have a name," she pouts and Santana almost falls for it. Almost.

Brittany just slumps down on the seat by the steering wheel under the roof and sighs. Guess they'll have to count on Sam to come get them.

(This is going to take awhile.)

xxxx

The dark clouds seem to be moving out a bit but there's still no sign of Sam. She really should know better than to count on him when Rachel is there but what other choice would there be? Oh there's still Quinn. (thank god.) Brittany is not dense, nor is she blind. She definitely knows how much Quinn is sweet on her and that makes her feel ten levels of mean because she only sees Quinn as a sister, her confidante.

Maybe she shouldn't count on Quinn.

If this were a movie, it would be a funny one because there are two girls, who can't really get along, stuck on a boat, floating in the middle of the sea. Brittany looks over to where Santana sits under the shade. Those shorts make Brittany want to run her hands up smooth, tanned legs, and-

She shakes her head along with the thought. To be fair, Brittany would, maybe, if Santana wasn't taken, if she didn't have a _fiancée_. Something about how Santana mentioned getting away from him earlier makes her feel like he did something to hurt Santana and that alone makes Brittany want to punch his face. She's never done that before.

Santana just brings out the unexpected in her.

She continues to watch Santana, watches how Santana had been fiddling with her sunglasses and Brittany thinks if she does it any longer those poor glasses won't get the chance to live a long and healthy life. (She wonders if those sunglasses have a family.) She quickly averts her eyes when Santana catches her looking. Brittany glances back briefly and she sees the smirk again, the one that makes something in her chest tighten.

Santana straightens up and clears her throat. They're stuck in the middle of the fucking sea for god's sake, she'd be stupid to not jump at this chance. Maybe her plan isn't ruined after all.

She says something. But it isn't an apology.

"Why do you stay here?"

That catches Brittany by surprise. "Because I live here?" she says.

"Do you not want to go to the city? Be successful?" Santana asks because she's never met anyone so… so simple.

"Going into the city makes you successful?" Brittany wonders aloud. "I get a pretty good pay here and I like my job. I like swimming here," she says, excitedly. "My parents live here, I live here, my friends live here… I don't see why I need to go to the city. I think I'm successful here."

Santana feels light when she listens to Brittany, like everything she said makes perfect sense, like Santana's question is the oddest of all questions. She wants to listen more but she's afraid that Brittany will think she's… odd. They lapse into silence again, with the sound of the waves hitting the sides of the boat deafening their ears.

Brittany perks up, suddenly moving over to sit next to Santana and stares at her.

"Do you love your fiancée?" she asks, leaning up on her arm to face Santana. She sees how Santana's eyes light up but is quickly replaced with steeliness.

"What does it matter? It's my fault anyway. I got into that relationship not knowing who my fiancée really is," Santana says. "My parents want him for me."

"And you're just going to accept it? Even if you disagree?" Brittany practically shouts but she clears her throat immediately. She just can't believe there's such a thing, where you let someone else decide whom you marry, whom to love. (Isn't love yours?)

Santana realises how ridiculous it must sound but who is she to decline? She loves her parents dearly and they love her just as much. They give her everything she will ever need. What's wrong with giving _them_ this one thing they ask of her?

"I know they mean well. They just want the best for me," she said softly.

"Just because you say 'no', doesn't mean they're going to love you any less," Brittany breathed. She looks out to the open sea as the sun starts to set. "It doesn't mean you love them any less. Sometimes it's needed. It's your life, not theirs."

Santana follows her line of sight and murmured, "But whatever you do, wherever you go, you'll need a parent's blessing. To be happy."

Brittany looks back to her and stares at her like she's the oddest thing in the world. This time Santana thinks it might be a good thing because Brittany is smiling. "Haven't you had a lover before?" Brittany asks bluntly. Santana raises her eyebrows at that.

"My life's all work, work, work and more work. I don't really have time for anything else," she sighs and Brittany thinks it's the saddest sound ever and she wants to make it go away because somebody so beautiful doesn't deserve to sound so sad but her heart stops her as it flutters wildly in her chest as Santana asks, "You? Nobody special?"

She gulps and looks down, almost ashamed with her answer. "I don't really have anything special in my life to tell you about, much less someone special."

"Well why don't you go look for someone special?"

"They say love will come on its own," Brittany says, serenely looking back out to the sea.

Santana scoffs. "You're gonna be waiting forever if you wait for love to come on it's own. I say go look for it."

"Ah, but a love that is searched for will leave eventually."

Silence again.

"What do you look for, in that special someone?" Santana mumbles.

"What I look for in that special-" Brittany stills as she feels Santana rest her head on her shoulder. She hadn't even realise that they were sitting that closely. Brittany turns her head slightly, brushing her cheek against the top of Santana's head. Something about how warm she feels makes Brittany want to do this every morning or every lazy Sunday afternoon or every day, every time. (With Santana. And maybe Lord Tubbington if he promises to stop smoking.)

"C'mon on, I'm listening," Santana whines a little and Brittany thinks it's the cutest thing ever.

She thinks about it for a second. "I don't really know, I mean I like boys and girls but every night in my dreams I see a woman. A woman who knows who she is and doesn't apologise for it."

Santana tries to hide her yawn but she feels comfortable. Brittany feels comfortable. "Do women like that even exist anymore?"

"I'm sure there is," Brittany hinted, laughing silently to herself. "Behind that tough exterior, there's a softness to her. Behind all that pride, there's kindness. And behind-"

There's a light snoring sound. Brittany turns gently and sees Santana already asleep.

(Adorable.)

xxxx

It's shining brightly; she can feel it behind her eyelids. Someone is calling out their names; she can hear it. It's only when she feels a loud thud on the boat that Brittany jolts awake, startling Santana as well. (Did she lean on Santana while she was asleep?) She sees Sam, with another boat beside theirs and Quinn is inside.

"Ugh Trouty! Can't you let a girl sleep peacefully?" Santana grumbles. Brittany smiles at that nickname for Sam because his lips really do look like they belong to someone in the fish family.

"I'm so sorry, Miss Lopez. You must've been terrified. P-please don't sue us, Miss Lopez. I assure you nothing like this has ever happened before," Sam stammers, panicking at the thought of Santana suing the whole motel. This time both Brittany and Santana roll their eyes at him.

"I'm fine… I have Brittany," she says shyly as she glances at Brittany. Brittany's clear blue eyes shine so brilliantly under the sun that the sea pales in comparison. They smile bashfully at each other because Santana didn't say anything else, just that she has Brittany.

Sam watched their little interaction and couldn't help but roll _his_ eyes too. (And they say he's lovesick.) He coughs lightly.

"Um, I don't mean to interrupt but your parents are here, Miss Lopez."

Santana snaps her in his direction while Brittany looks on confusedly. (They're here?) But if they're here, then that means, that idiot with the Mohawk is here as well. She knows he would be there because her parents love him and because he'd never tell them anything that would jeopardise the wedding. She breathes in deeply.

"Let's go."

They ride in Sam's boat back to the docks, tension hanging over them.

xxxx

Santana has never really asked for anything for as long as she's been alive. Everything was just given to her, no questions. So she feels strange when she wants something now. Someone.

She leans back in her seat, in her office back in New York and wonders if she's brave enough to want something now. (Someone.)

She doesn't really want to remember the scene that took place by the docks last weekend, but the images float vividly in her mind. The way her parents begged her to come back home, (how Puck should really get an Oscar for his performance) and how Brittany avoided her eyes and stood behind Sam, set themselves on a loop behind her eyelids.

Santana had told her parents about the reason she ran away and she silently sent a little _thank you_ to wherever Brittany is because she was right and her parents still love her just as much even if she decided to call off the wedding.

But it's been five whole days. Five whole days of blue eyes and… perfect.

She doesn't know if she's in love, she can't be sure. (But she thinks she is.) Santana wants to drop everything right now and take that drive (to wherever) again and just see Brittany. She just wants to look at her, listen to her, make her giggle and do everything.

She might even want to meet Lord Tubbington.

She doesn't know if she's in love. But she is.

xxxx

The calming weather by the docks soothes Brittany, almost mends the aching in her chest. She has no idea why it aches but she knows it started happening the second Santana left. Maybe those two are linked. She makes little splashes against the water with her feet as she thinks about what she said to Quinn, about how it hurt to see Quinn stop smiling for awhile after Brittany set her straight but even more about how relieved she felt when Quinn came up to her a few days later and said _it's _okay, then gave her a hug.

She really misses Santana. They haven't even known each other for more than a day, technically, but she wants to get to know Santana forever. She's never missed anyone this much before; at least, she's pretty sure it never hurt this badly.

(Santana just brings out the- yeah.)

Brittany decides to go back to mending the boats and smiles to herself for awhile as she imagines how Santana would have a fit over the croaks and groans the boat's engine makes, saying how _it sounds like it's suffering_ because they didn't maintain it.

"It sounds like it's suffering."

Brittany smiles wider because she hears Santana's voice so clearly. So lovely. Wait.

She turns around and slips, almost grinding her hand through the engine as she lays her eyes on everything Santana, Santana, Santana. She's not sure what to say or if she should say anything at all because her tongue feels like Lord Tubbington has it, so she just stands and stares at her.

Santana actually giggles and steps carefully onto the boat, coming closer. Neither of them pay any thought to that drumming sound they hear. They're almost flush against each other and Brittany doesn't know what has gotten into her but she leans down and captures Santana's lips with her own.

(Always the unexpected.)

She hears Santana gasp against her lips before feeling plump lips kiss back. It's short but it makes Brittany feel everything Santana, Santana, Santana.

"What was that for?" Santana breathes out, resting her forehead against Brittany's.

Brittany shrugs and grins. "Sam told me that if I ever saw you again I should just 'plant one on those sister lips'."

Santana smirks at the thought of Sam actually comparing her lips to his. "Go Trouty," she whispers onto Brittany's lips and seals them again.

Neither of them are sure of how this will work but there's always that drive.

(To wherever.)


End file.
